Semiconductor structure and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A semiconductor structure and its manufacturing method are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate having a trench. The semiconductor structure also includes an oxide layer conformally formed in the trench and a protective layer formed in the trench. Also, the protective layer is conformally formed on the oxide layer. The semiconductor structure further includes an insulating material layer in the trench, and the insulating material layer is formed above the protective layer, wherein a top surface of the insulating material layer is higher than a top surface of the protective layer.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This Application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 109100545, filed on Jan. 8, 2020, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUNDField of the Disclosure[0002]The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor structure and its manufacturing method, and in particular, it relates to a semiconductor structure having trench isolation features and its manufacturing method.Description of the Related Art[0003]With the rapid development of integrated circuits (ICs), the size of memory device components has been decreased, in order to meet the commercial requirements for miniaturized electronic devices. The degree of integration of components in a memory device increases as the size of the electronic device is reduced. When the size of the components in an electronic device is reduced to increase the degree of integration, isolation structures that are disposed between the components in the memory device are a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes a semiconductor structure and a method of manufacturing it. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate with a trench, an oxide layer and a protective layer, which are conformally formed in the trench. A sacrificial material is filled in the opening formed by removing a portion of the sacrificial material. An insulating material layer is then formed on the sacrificial material and the protective layer, which is higher in elevation than the sacrificial material. A nitride layer is then formed on the insulating material layer. The technical effect of this semiconductor structure and method of manufacturing it is improved performance and reliability of the semiconductor device.

Problems solved by technology

However, isolation structures may become damaged in the current processes used for fabricating memory devices, and this may cause the isolation structures to have uneven surfaces.

Also, it may be difficult to control the height difference (also known as the step height) between the top surfaces of the isolation structures and the top surfaces of the active areas.

The isolation structures that are formed according to the current processes for fabricating memory devices are not ideal, so the components disposed on the active areas and positioned on the two sides of the isolation structures may have problems, such as current leakage and low programming speed, thereby affecting the electrical performance of the memory devices.

The aforementioned problems decrease the production yield and reliability of the final products.

Although existing semiconductor structures and methods for manufacturing the same have generally been adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been entirely satisfactory in all respects.

There are still some problems to be overcome in regards to the semiconductor structures and its manufacturing methods.

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